'The Bakelite Masterpiece' at Mosesian Center for the Arts is based on true story

By Alexander Stevens Correspondent

Wednesday

Mar 14, 2018 at 9:03 AM

If you’re not excited about the prospect of a play that features a World War II-era artist who may have sold a forgery to the Nazis, then spend five minutes talking with Jim Petosa, and then you will be.

Petosa, artistic director of the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown, is gregarious by nature, and it doesn’t take him long to go from zero to 60 on the enthusiasm speedometer. He’s passionate about “The Bakelite Masterpiece,” the one-act drama he’s directing for its March 17 to April 8 run at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown.

“I read the play, and I thought, ‘This is fascinating,’ ” remembers Petosa, who lives in Quincy. “It’s a mystery, it’s thrilling and it’s a rollercoaster ride. It’s the kind of play that makes theater ‘a happening.’ ”

Bonus points for the fact that the story is based on true events, but playwright Kate Cayley flashes her artistic license so that she can send the story down a dramatic and thought-provoking path.

In the play, Dutch artist Han van Meegeren is in hot water. He’s sitting in a prison and facing a death sentence, accused of selling a Vermeer painting to Hitler pal Hermann Goering. That’s a high crime, when you’re talking about someone as revered as Vermeer and someone as reviled at Goering.

But van Meegeren offers a unique defense: He didn’t sell Goering a Vermeer, he sold him a forgery. How does he know it was fake? Because he painted it. (“Bakelite” is a substance used to dry and harden paint, thereby making a painting appear to be much older than its actual age.)

Art historian Geert Piller is out for justice, while van Meegeren is determined to prove his innocence. The solution? The artist will paint Piller’s portrait in the style of Vermeer, and she’ll decide if he has the skill required to fool art experts.

“If a person is a forger of a great work of art, and everyone believes the painting is authentic, and then it’s sold to the enemy, is the painter betraying the national identity, or is he setting up the enemy as a fool?” asks Petosa.

That’s just one of the many rich veins the director and his cast are mining in rehearsals.

Is selling a forgery less of a crime when you sell it to a villain? If a forgery can’t be detected by even the world’s greatest art authenticators, doesn’t it have some value?

The director also believes “Bakelite” asks questions that are part of the current national conversation.

“It touches on issues of our era, like intellectual property rights, and homage vs. plagiarism,” says Petosa. “It also talks about the idea of nationalism, which is our country’s current preoccupation. I think the play can provoke endless conversations.”

If “Bakelite Masterpiece” is a layered and subtle play, then Petosa selected the right actors to deliver it. He admits that he chose the show largely as a vehicle for talented local actor Benjamin Evett, who has built a fruitful artistic relationship with New Rep. Evett’s costar in the two-person drama is Laura Latreille, a relative newcomer to New Rep.

“The two of them have great onstage chemistry,” says Petosa. “And with really strong actors, you can delve into direction that is more complex and explore the play more nimbly. The collaboration between director and actor becomes much more dynamic with experienced actors. And rehearsals become a place of real discovery.”

Seven years as artistic director at New Rep provides moments of real discovery as well. Petosa is a bit shocked by how quickly the time has passed, but he’s thrilled with the job.

“I’ve loved it,” says Petosa, describing his tenure so far. “I believe in the mission and vision of New Rep. And the board (of directors) is great. They have a real appreciation for the fact that theater can provoke a conversation.”

But it’s not all bows and applause. Petosa is well aware of the challenges that confront the company, and he knows that theaters face clear and present dangers.

“The mid-sized nonprofit is the most threatened part” of the cultural landscape, says Petosa. “New national policies about financial giving are making things more difficult. As the country becomes more austere, philanthropy has been channeled into things that are much more basic, like services and social programs. Arts are viewed less as something that’s critical to the country, and more as a decoration.”

There’s a small pause, and then Petosa adds, with a laugh, “I’ll tell you one thing: Arts advocacy is back! We have a lot of work to do.” But his laugh is gone by the time he adds, “We live in challenging times.”

New Repertory Theatre’s production of “The Bakelite Masterpiece” runs March 17-April 8 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. Tickets: $37-$67. Call: 617-923-8487, or visit newrep.org.